World News Hub

‘We have had enough’: thousands of University of Sydney staff walk off the job over AI and job security

Hundreds of university staff were stationed at picket lines, calling for stronger protections around the use of AIFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe same week union members at the University of Sydney agreed to a 24-hour strike, staff received the results of an internal survey.In the faculty of arts and social scienc...

Wednesday briefing: ​What’s behind the global backlash against datacentres?

In today’s newsletter: Communities from Scotland to India are pushing back against datacentres they feel have been forced upon them, warning they threaten energy supplies and the climateGood morning. This summer, datacentres have become targets of resistance across the world. Ever since the arrival of ChatGPT, big tech has been lobbying for the creation of enormous new facilities. Many governments...

Zombie fungus uses dead female flies to infect healthy flies using spores

A fungus launches infectious spores using pressurized liquid bursts from dead flies. These spores are propelled with significant force, reaching speeds up to ten meters per second. Spore size is crucial, balancing momentum for dispersal and air current transport. Dead female flies attract males, aiding spore spread through contact and movement. This remarkable fungal artillery ensures continue...

CityU investigates after clip shows man carrying woman in bra, shorts at disco night

Hong Kong’s City University (CityU) has launched an investigation after a video surfaced showing a half-naked man carrying a woman wearing only a bra and shorts during a student-led orientation event. The university issued a statement on Wednesday stressing “zero tolerance” of improper conduct after the clip appeared online showing the behaviour during a disco-themed party. The clip has since been...

CityU vows ‘zero tolerance’ as orientation disco night video triggers probe

Hong Kong’s City University (CityU) has launched an investigation after a video surfaced showing a half-naked man carrying a woman wearing only a bra and shorts during a student-led orientation event. The university issued a statement on Wednesday stressing “zero tolerance” of improper conduct after the clip appeared online showing the behaviour during a disco-themed party. The clip has since been...

CityU vows ‘zero tolerance’ as orientation ‘disco night’ video triggers probe

Hong Kong’s City University has launched an investigation into an alleged indecent incident during a student-led orientation activity after a video surfaced showing a half-naked man carrying a woman wearing only a bra and shorts. The university issued a statement on Wednesday pledging “zero tolerance” for improper conduct, after a social media clip appeared to show intimate behaviour among individ...

Palestinian artist Saint Levant delays tour amid US visa complications

Visa cancellations or delays have forced international artists to rethink US tours under President Donald Trump.

Scientists infect 6,000 young elms in bold bid to bring iconic trees back

Australia news live: Jim Chalmers hails ‘resilient’ economy but expert says national accounts show ’too little growth and too much inflation’

Follow the day’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRide share driver charged on allegations of committing sexual acts during bookingA ride share driver will face court in Sydney today over multiple allegations of sexual acts, including one allegedly committed in the city’s CBD last weekend.They’re sick and tired of the feminisation of our curriculum and the lack o...

Japan halves speed limit to 30km/h on all narrow city streets

Speed limit dropped from 60km/h for around 70% of general roads in the hope of making narrow streets of crowded cities saferDrivers on residential roads in Japan have been forced to take their foot off the accelerator, after the speed limit was slashed from 60km/h (37mph) to 30km/h in an attempt to reduce deaths and injuries among pedestrians on narrow urban streets.The new limit, which went into ...

Venezuela hands the US control over a fifth of its oil in landmark deal

Venezuela's parliament has approved handing the US control of a fifth of its oil reserves, cementing Washington's grip on a government it helped install after toppling President Nicolas Maduro in January.

‘No time to issue a warning’: Experts on what caused Nepal flood and what’s needed to improve preparedness

Nepal has contributed little to the emissions driving global warming yet it is suffering the worst consequences.

US journalist jailed for 2 years for working as a Chinese agent

An American journalist who lived in Beijing, worked for Chinese state media and pleaded guilty to helping Beijing collect US intelligence was sentenced on Tuesday to two years in federal prison. Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and barred from overseas travel during that period, according to the US Justice Department. He also used the alias Tom McG...

Controversial US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln arrives in Thailand after months at sea

Democratic lawmakers have called for an investigation into conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln following reports of food shortages, broken plumbing and mental health crises.

Syria’s restrained approach to Israel carries risks

Damascus's restraint could encourage more Israeli encroachment and lose the trust of the Syrian public.

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong pleads guilty in national security case

Pro-democracy activist faces life sentence in second case under Beijing's national security law.

Flood-hit Nepal urges tourists to return: ‘our mountain trails are waiting for you’

Nepal urged international travellers not to abandon the Himalayas, declaring the country open for tourism as it continues to assess the human and economic toll from catastrophic floods that killed hundreds and left thousands missing. “Our mountain trails, trekking routes are still waiting for you,” Tourism Minister Khadak Raj Paudel said in a video message on social media, using the hashtag #Nepal...

Malaysian heritage site caught in row over non-local staff

Images of a migrant worker apparently guiding visitors around one of Kuala Lumpur’s best-known heritage sites have triggered a backlash in Malaysia, with critics asking why locals were not hired instead. The row erupted after photos and video circulated online showed visitors being shown around the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, a colonial-era landmark that has overlooked the capital’s Independence ...

BBC travels inside occupied Lebanon as officials say Israel expanding positions

A BBC team joined a humanitarian mission of the UN peacekeeping force, which says Israeli troops are fortifying positions and continuing demolitions.

Israel expanding presence in Lebanon, officials say, as BBC visits occupied areas

A BBC team joined a humanitarian mission of the UN peacekeeping force, which says Israeli troops are fortifying positions and continuing demolitions.

Iran attacks US bases in Middle East after reports US strike killed five at wedding party

The Iranian Red Crescent and says five people, including a child, were killed and 50 injured when shrapnel from a US strike hit a home.

Jury in Bruce Lehrmann’s Queensland rape trial may face questions about prior knowledge of case

Lehrmann, 31, is accused of raping a woman in 2021 and will stand trial in Toowoomba in November. He intends to contest the chargesJurors in the pending trial of Bruce Lehrmann for alleged rape could be questioned about their prior knowledge of him and the case.Lehrmann, 31, is set to stand trial from November 2, accused of twice raping a woman at a house in regional Queensland in 2021. Continue r...

Tenerife vs Lanzarote: How the two popular Canary Islands compare for a holiday

Both islands offer year-round sunshine, beautiful beaches and volcanic landscapes, but Tenerife and Lanzarote have very different personalities. Here’s what to expect from each, from outdoor adventures to culture, food and hotels, to help you decide which of these Canary Islands is right for you.

ECB rate hike looms as energy shock pushes inflation to 3.3%

With eurozone inflation at 3.3% and energy costs surging, markets are pricing in another ECB rate rise on 10 September. ECB economists say this energy-driven episode looks nothing like the demand-fuelled surge of 2021-22.

British man deported from Sweden despite living there since childhood

John Sellers, 34, who moved with his family to Sweden aged 10, has been ejected despite his recent marriage to a SwedeA 34-year-old British man who has lived in Sweden since he was 10 has been deported in the latest of a series of Brexit-induced catastrophes for UK citizens in the country.John Sellers was told to leave despite living in Sweden for 24 years, having been educated in the country and ...